Transformers: Chasing Summer
by SunlightOnTheWater
Summary: Summer Anderson was taking captive by the Decepticons when they rose again. Now it will take a determined group of NEST operatives headed by Briley herself to bring Summer back home alive. AU. complete
1. Chapter 1

They touched down on home ground hours later and after a shower Briley could still feel sand in her hair. Still she shook the thought from her head and made for the main hanger. Summer had been captured by Decepticons and her friend was more important to Briley than her immediate comfort. Inside the main hanger it was chaos. Briley was suddenly very glad that she had given Lennox Susana's number. Briley's older sister, Susana, was a lawyer and the NEST operative had a feeling they were going to need one. With all the chaos going on below Briley was greatly relieved when Jazz picked her up and she settled on his shoulder with a sigh of relief.

"This looks like Black Friday on steroids," she said and after a moment of searching to reference her terminology Jazz chuckled.

"Talk about apt analogies," he said and Briley shook her head with a slight grin.

"All this trouble over throwing a liaison with a parachute out of a plane," she said wryly, shaking her head.

"No, no," Lennox called up to her, accidentally catching everyone else's attention. "We didn't _throw_ him out of a plane. _He_ pulled the chute too soon."

"Thank you for clarifying that," a familiar voice said and everyone turned to see John Keller, Secretary of Defense. "I'm sure Liaison Galloway appreciates that differentiation as he waits for someone to pick him up from the middle of Egypt." Though his voice was serious Keller's eyes were bright with laughter. It seemed that Galloway was good at making enemies. Everyone started laughing at that, enjoying a small victory over the nasty liaison.

"So why're you here if he's not gonna be back soon?" Epps called from where he had been speaking to Sideswipe.

"Actually Galloway will be back shortly," Keller replied with the smallest hint of a smirk. "I'm here to inform him that he has been fired from NEST and is on no uncertain terms to leave."

"Victory at last," Epps crowed and Briley almost fell off Jazz's shoulder as she laughed.

"If I knew that would have worked I would have done it much sooner," Lennox added. "That jerk almost got us all killed."

"Which is why he's being removed," Keller said. The celebration continued long into the night but Briley was quickly in no mood to rejoice. Summer was out there somewhere alone and captured by Decepticons. She wouldn't rest well until she knew her friend was safe.

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><p><span>Author's Note:<span> And onward we trek! I own nothing but my OCs


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey Bri?" Briley wasn't overly surprised to be greeted by Lennox but she was rather surprised to see the pretty blonde haired woman on his arm.

"Hey," she said with a slim smile.

"This is my wife Sarah," Lennox said, introducing the pretty woman.

"Pleased to meet you," Sarah Lennox said with a genuine smile.

"Likewise," Briley replied with an equally bright smile. She guessed that she could be a good friend with Sarah Lennox who seemed as if she was a genuine, down to Earth person and now someone who liked to fake it.

"I have to go," Sarah said then, kissing Will on the cheek. "I need to check on Annabelle and you two need to talk." Sarah waved at Briley over her shoulder and then headed for the main hanger.

"About Summer," Will said with a sigh. "The government wants to make this project more diverse and world inclusive so they're moving us to Diego Garcia."

"What about Summer?" Briley protested. "Did you bring that point up?"

"Yes," Lennox said with a sigh. "But you know our government."

"Unfortunately," Briley sighed. "And throwing Galloway out of a plane despite him doing the work himself mostly didn't help our cause did it?"

"Not really," Lennox admitted with a wry grin. "Though it was mostly worth it."

"Does that mean we just have to leave Summer with the Decepticons?" Briley asked, despair written in every line of her face.

"Not quite but their stipulations will make the task very difficult to save her," Will said. "I am allowed to send no more than eight people and Cybertronians back to Egypt in an attempt to find Summer."

"What?" Briley yelped, her eyes blazing. "That's suicide!"

"I know," Lennox sighed, looking rather annoyed himself. "I tried and tried but I couldn't change their minds and I was finally told that if I kept pushing they wouldn't let me send anyone at all."

"Then what are we going to do?" Briley asked. The despair was back on the surface as the woman turned and stared up at the stars, her teeth clenched in an attempt to keep in the tears that hovered near the surface.

"All that we can," Lennox said. "I'm putting you in charge of the rescue team. Chose who you think you need for the other seven team members and inform them tomorrow. You won't leave until tomorrow evening. I'm sorry I can't do anymore Briley." He patted her shoulder and then turned and headed back into the hanger to find Sarah. Briley sank down on the ground and cried for a few long minutes, heavy sobs that tore through her throat. Then she remembered something that Jessie had told her once.

It was part of a story that she couldn't remember but in it the Lord said, "I didn't say it would be easy my child. I said it would be worth it." Briley swiped her tears away and stood slowly, facing forward then, staring into the distance. Already her mind was whirling with plans. She would need to speak to Jazz about this but maybe, just maybe, they could pull this off.

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><p><span>Author's Note:<span> Thanks to _MissShelz_ (I never did like Galloway...Except when they threw him out of the plane) and _Luna636_ (Thanks and thank you for reading and reviewing the other stories!) for reviewing the last chapter! Hope you enjoyed and I own nothing but my OCs


	3. Chapter 3

Briley and Jazz finalized the list of who would be going with them after four long hours the next day. They had come up with what they hoped was a winning combination, carefully weighing each of their options carefully. Briley's only regret that heading the team meant that she would miss Burke's funeral. She had been good friends with the man who had been part of Lennox's team with her at Qatar but she knew Burke would have wanted to save Summer if their places had been reversed. He was notorious for being extremely loyal and he had counted Summer among his friends. "You said you have a list for me," Lennox said when Briley stepped into his office at just twelve after noon.

"I do," Briley confirmed. "It took almost four hours to complete though."

"That's faster than I expected," Lennox said, looking tired, as if he hadn't slept well last night either. In response to her questioning gaze he said, "Annabelle's teething."

"Ah," Briley said, suddenly understanding why he had dark circles under his eyes.

"Let's see what you've got," Lennox said after taking a sip of what Briley suspected was black coffee and Briley handed him over the list. "Jazz, Sideswipe, Epps, Kinsey, Jolt," Lennox read, his brow furrowing as he counted. "That's only five, six counting you."

"Glad you can add," Briley replied with a slight smirk. "Jazz is talking to Optimus about suggesting a last member."

"That makes more Cybertronians than humans," Lennox pointed out.

"We didn't want to take anyone that couldn't bring anything useful and who wasn't comfortable working with the Autobots," Briley said with a shrug. "Besides with Epps and Kinsey we'll have enough personality for about six people."

Lennox laughed then, shaking his head. His phone pinged then and he opened the text message. His brow furrowed further and he shot Briley a confused look. "Jazz says to inform you that Ratchet's coming instead of Jolt and that you'll be fine soon enough and possible have more help than you were given permission for. Does any of this make any sense to you?"

"Actually yes," Briley said with a slight smirk. "There is a possibility that there will be more Cybertronians landing soon and if we don't feel it safe to send them back to the base because you'll be leaving at any time than we aren't against government jurisdiction." Lennox was grinning too by the time she finished speaking then.

"Can I suggest another human to go with you then?" he asked her and Briley nodded. "Agent Michael Graham. He's one of the few ranking British personnel here and he would be a good help on this mission."

"Sounds good," Briley said with a shrug. "I'll leave it to you to brief the people who are coming with us."

"Including the Cybertronians?" Lennox questioned.

"Nah," Briley called, shooting a wicked grin over her shoulder. "That's Jazz's job."

Summer was a wreck. Her golden blonde hair was tangled in dusty tendrils around her face. Her lips were chapped and bloody and there were dark circles under her eyes. She had ripped her combat pants off at the bottom, turning them into shorts, and had shed her jacket long before that, now wearing simply her tan tank top. "Please let help come soon," she whispered, staring up at the high sun through the grimy window of the old airplane hangar. Then she sighed and slumped against the already warm metal wall, trying not to let the tears prickling in her eyes fall.

She heard movement outside the hanger and turned in time to see a rather familiar metal figure enter the hanger, leaving the door open behind her. The blast of air was a little cooler than that which was already locked inside with her but not enough that it was a relief. "How much longer is this going to go on?" she asked Thundercracker, too tired and desperate to be afraid anymore.

"I don't know," the flier replied. Summer had been around him long enough to know he wasn't normally talkative or even prone to showing emotion so the bare hint of concern in his tone worried her. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked after a moment, sounding hesitant. To Summer the gesture was sweet and her chapped and bloody lips curled up in a slight smile.

"Arrange for a rainstorm?" she suggested with a hint of teasing in her voice.

Thundercracker stiffened slightly, processing her tone for a moment before relaxing again. "Unfortunately that is beyond my capacity to do," he said stiffly and Summer shook her head slightly, stifling a grin as she turned back to the window. He really needed to relax some time.

"I guess I'll just have to keep praying," she said in her dry voice. She could feel his optics on her for a few moments before he turned and left the hanger, shutting the metal door behind him and leaving Summer alone again.

* * *

><p><span>Author's Note:<span> Thanks to _MissShelz _(I sure hope so!), _Noella50881_ (It seems there are always loopholes ;D), and _Luna636_ (I couldn't resist Sarah knowing about the Autobots) for reviewing the last chapter! Hope you enjoyed and I own nothing but my OCs


	4. Chapter 4

Briley had never been so glad to land in a foreign country as she was now. The dry Egyptian heat struck her square in the face as she exited the cargo plane and she shielded her eyes from the blazing sun. "Man is that bright," Epps grumbled and Briley had to silently agree with him. Kinsey mumbled something that wasn't understandable by anyone's standards and Graham simply nodded. They waited a moment as the Autobots disembarked, studying the landscape around them. Egypt looked much like they had left it minus the Decepticon wreckage.

"Any idea where to start?" Kinsey asked.

"And why did we land here instead of where we last saw the Decepticons?" Graham added, his eyes meeting Briley's.

"There's an old military base not far away," Briley explained as the Autobots shifted into their bipedal modes, listening closely. "Lennox and I searched the area within a thirty mile radius for any sign of buildings that were large enough to house a few Decepticons. This is one of about twelve places we found. It was also closest to where the new Autobots will be arriving."

"Which made it our first stop," Epps finished for her. "Let's get moving then." The smooth, fine grain sand made walking difficult but they were still at the old military base after twenty minutes of trekking. The disappointment was instant. "There hasn't been anyone here for months, maybe years," Epps said.

Briley nodded grimly, eyes sweeping across the sand covered expanse in front of her. "Something as large as a Decepticon would have left signs," she added, lips pulled together in a thing line as she pulled a sheet of paper from her pocket, carefully crossing off the first place on their list.

That was when something rather more exciting happened; a comet came streaking across the sky, leaving a blazing trail of fire behind it. Another one followed more closely and they both crashed into the sand one after another, powdery sand spraying up into the sky and falling like snow across humans and Autobots alike. Briley coughed and spat sand out of her mouth, unsurprised to see Epps, Kinsey, and Graham doing similar things.

"Nice landing," Kinsey drawled sarcastically her eyes bright with irritation. None of the Autobots heard her, too concerned with the two figures rising up out of the sand almost like avenging angels; if angels came in silver and yellow-gold.

Miles away Summer kept her head bowed in silent prayer. She was desperate for rain in any form or just a blast of cooler air. She knew she wouldn't last much longer in this dry heat but Summer had no intention of dying far away from home at a young age. She lifted her head when a cloud covered the harsh sun, hoping for a rain cloud or even just a cloud to cool the air. Instead she saw a pyre of dust rise up in the distance like a dust storm only to drift slowly back down. Something had just landed out there. Perhaps another Decepticon?

Summer desperately hoped not. The more Decepticons arrived here, the less of a chance she had of being rescued. Her mind then drifted to Galloway and his red tape, another option she hadn't considered. With his hatred of the Autobots and NEST in general he might make it so that no one could come rescue her. Summer shook that thought out of her mind, brushing dirty hair away from her dusty face. Her friends wouldn't abandon her here; not even if it meant defying the United States Government. Besides Briley's older sister Susana was one of the best lawyers in the country and if anyone could fight to give them the chance to rescue Summer it would be her. No, Summer wasn't ready to give up hope yet.

She stood slowly, stretching the kinks out of her muscles before beginning to pace. Summer tried to keep physical activity to a minimum because of how little water she received. It was barely enough to keep her going _without_ any form of exercise but Summer was naturally active and couldn't stay still for long. Even on the mission trip to China when she had stepped on a nail she had only been able to stay still for two days. Summer could not remember a time when she was not active so the weakness in her muscles both frightened and irritated her. With a breathy sigh that hurt her dry throat she forced herself to sit by the window and watch for rescue again. After all there was nothing else she could do.

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><p><span>Author's Note:<span> Thanks to _MissShelz_ who reviewed the last chapter! Hope you enjoyed and I own nothing but my OCs


	5. Chapter 5

Briley looked over the two newcomers with a critical eye, considering their situation. The gold one was Sideswipe's twin, Sunstreaker, and while he wasn't exactly pleased with the situation he was willing to go along with it. The other one was Mirage and Briley got the distinct impression that he was deeply unsatisfied with the situation though she didn't think he'd ever say that. She and Kinsey exchanged exasperated glances as Jazz argued with Mirage, both about fed up with what was going on. "Do you want to end it or do you want me to?" Kinsey asked. Briley considered for a moment, feeling the hint of a grin creeping up on her face.

"Oh by all means you do it," Briley said finally, the grin threatening to overwhelm her face. Kinsey then had a wicked grin of her own which would have had anyone sensible running for cover.

"Oye," Kinsey yelled, her expression serious. "Are y'all gonna keep arguing or are we gonna leave _**without**_ you?" Jazz threw his hands in the air, an action that looked rather odd on a giant alien robot, and Mirage grumbled something in Italian. Briley rolled her eyes and glanced at both Epps, who was looking exasperated, and Graham who was just looking annoyed. They both nodded and she turned on her heel, stalking off with Kinsey trotting after her.

Ratchet looked as annoyed as she felt and followed them easily. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker followed as well, both snickering under their breath. Jazz and Mirage came last, still arguing about something or other. Despite her irritation Briley was pleased. They were on their way again with less hassle than she had expected. "So where's the next stop?" Epps asked, glancing at her list. Briley hesitated and tapped a name about halfway down the list.

"It's probably going to take us about a day to get there," she said.

"And where exactly is there?" Sunstreaker grumbled. Briley silently counted to ten, praying to God for patience before replying.

"A few abandoned airplane hangars," she said calmly.

"And this helps us why?" Sunstreaker grumbled, still sounding like a rather put out child.

Briley growled under her breath and refused to respond, instead focusing her energy on moving forward. "No more sand," Kinsey said suddenly.

"What?" Briley asked.

"After this no more sand for me," Kinsey said flatly. "First Qatar and now this. I'm sick of it!" Briley couldn't help it, she started laughing. What Kinsey had just said was exactly what Briley had told Jazz the last time they had come to Egypt via some kind of portal. Her laughter left her rather melancholy as her thoughts led her to Jetfire who had given his life to see their mission a success.

"It could be worse," Epps commented.

"How?" Kinsey asked sourly, her whole face drawn in one irritated line.

"There could be a giant metal scorpion chasing us," Epps continued and Kinsey groaned. Briley opened her mouth to respond but Graham beat her to it.

"Don't tempt fate," he said.

"Amen," Briley agreed with a nod, glancing at her watch to check the time only to realize that it was still on California time. She sighed, exasperated, and shook her head. One problem after another; this was probably the world's worst rescue mission ever. She studied the dark clouds gathering on the horizon and then kept walking.

A day's walk away Summer Anderson dreamed of water. In her mind it poured down in buckets, a torrential East Coast downpour that rattled windows and made it seem as if the very roof was going to collapse from the weight of the water. A fierce pounding sound threatened to wake her but she tried to push it away, not wanting to wake from her pleasant dream. Finally the pounding pulled her completely awake and she stared in astonishment at the window. Water was pouring down it in a steady stream just like if she was at home. She scrambled to the window and forced it open with all her strength, cupping her hands and drinking the water she gathered there. Her thirst quenched she stuck her head out the window and enjoyed the water pouring down on her face and shoulders. This was truly a miracle.

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><p><span>Author's Note:<span> Sorry for not uploading yesterday but the internet was down! Thanks to _MissShelz, __a Wiccan_, and _Luna636_ for reviewing the last chapter! Hope you enjoyed and I own nothing but my OCs


	6. Chapter 6

Briley wasn't sure she had ever seen this much rain in her life. She was seriously questioning if the desert had ever seen this much rain. It was a true miracle. And perhaps a sign. Could the rain be a way to lead them to Summer. Didn't it say in Psalms thirty-two verse eight that _I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you_? If Briley had learned one thing from her faith it was that God worked in mysterious ways and sometimes it was best to simply follow Him. With that thought in mind she began to walk in the direction the rain had come from.

"What the heck are you doing?" Epps asked. "Don't you know how easy it would be to get lost in this downpour?" The others were also staring at her incredulously but Briley had been filled by a quiet confidence that came from known God had it in control. Since the beginning of this she had been unwilling to turn over the control of Summer's rescue to God and now he had given her a clear message; follow Me and I will lead you where you need to go. She was planning on doing just that.

"Have a little faith. If not in me then in some higher power," she told him with an easy smile, brushing her soaked hair out of her face. At that Kinsey smiled suddenly and hurried to catch up.

"Your brand of faith is insanity," Sideswipe called. "We'll never find Summer in this."

"_Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see_. Hebrews eleven verse one," Briley called over her shoulder.

"_We live by faith, not by sight_ 2 Corinthians five verse seven," Kinsey added. Epps and Graham had finally given in and were walking with them.

"That is faith," Briley finished and walked on, not bothering to look behind her. Either they would follow her or they wouldn't. Everything was in God's hands now and she would have to trust in His judgment and perfect control.

Summer couldn't help but laugh as she watched it rain. God had answered one of her prayers in a most dramatic way. She had never dared hope for something this wonderful and while it was an amazing gift it also showed her that though she had come far in her faith she still had a way to go. She remembered a story in the New Testament about Peter who stepped out of a boat to walk on the water on to find himself doubting and sinking. One particular verse had stood out to her. _Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "Why did you doubt?"_

Summer's father had always called that Peter's lesson. Summer had just experienced firsthand what that lesson was. "Well God let's see what comes next," she said, a slim smile still on her much more serious face. "I trust You have more planned and I'm guessing I just have to wait and see what it is."

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><p><span>Author's Note:<span> This story is beginning to wind down which is why this chapter was super short. Thanks to _MissShelz_, _Noella50881_, _PJ-NCIS-TF-26_, and _jmqe_ for reviewing the last chapter! Hope you enjoyed and I own nothing but my OCs


	7. Chapter 7

Summer wasn't sure exactly how long it rained but she did know exactly when it stopped. It was one of the moments that would be forever cemented in her mind and that would change her faith forever. The last of the rain petered off and a screech behind her turned Summer toward the door. She waited, resigned to whatever was going to happen, as it screeched open and then stared for a second in astonishment. She wasn't aware she had even moved until she had flung herself into Briley's arms and her friend was hugging her back tightly. "Thank you Lord," she murmured under her breath, shaking with relief.

"Are you all right?" Briley asked, her eyes sweeping across her friend.

"Yes," Summer said, laughing shakily. "Thank the Lord yes." Briley smiled then, a true smile that warmed Summer from the inside out.

"Then let's get you out of here," Briley said and Summer nodded, following her friend out into the already brightening sunlight.

On the way home Summer sank into a seat next to Briley, feeling the need to talk honestly to someone she knew and trusted. "Bri?" she asked and her friend turned tired eyes toward Summer. Surprisingly her Bible sat unopened in her lap which was an almost unprecedented event. Briley was always reading the Bible in her spare moments. What had happened? Summer felt her stomach sink and she swallowed hard before beginning. "I need to talk to you."

"About what?" Briley asked patiently.

"I've never been the great Christian everyone sees me as," Summer admitted. "Yeah I was a pastor's daughter but Christianity became nothing more than a habit so I memorized verses and acted the part but I wasn't sure I really believed. So when I was taken I went from despairing to furious at God in a few hours."

"What changed?" Briley asked when Summer paused, drawing in a deep breath for strength.

"I realized something," Summer said. "I had no food, minimal water, and yet somehow I was surviving. It was as if God was telling me to just come back to Him and everything would be alright. But I still didn't want to believe. I wanted to be able to handle this myself. Then it rained." Summer couldn't help but laugh, a soft, self depreciating laugh. "I didn't really realize how much I needed God until He showed me. I found something out there and I'm not sure what but I do know it has changed me forever."

"I have something to admit too," Briley said, looking embarrassed. "I wasn't' exactly the Christian I should have been either during the beginning of this. I thought I could find you on my own and it was only when the rain came and I had to trust His judgment that I realized I was doing the rescue all wrong."

Summer laughed lightly then and Briley grinned, looking slightly sheepish. "Looks like we both found something we needed out there," Summer said. "Thanks to the Lord and His ever constant patience." Both women relaxed as the plane dipped in the sky, heading toward the NEST base on Diego Garcia which was now home to them. Everything had turned out for the best and both had learned a lesson from the Lord which would follow them for the rest of their lives.

_Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield._

_For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in His holy name-Psalm 33:20-21_

_Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him-Psalm 2:12_

**TEASER: "Lace!" a voice called across the quad of Tranquility High School. "LACEY MARIE WITWICKY!"**

**"What?" Lacey yelled back, pushing her way through the crowd of students that all were staring at her. Devi Holland smirked at her dark haired friend, flipping a red curl over her shoulder. Next to her Callie Devaut tried not to bust out laughing at the look on Lacey's face.**

**"Your mom went into labor twenty minutes ago," Devi said calmly.**

**"WHAT?" Lace shrieked and both her friends winced slightly, covering their ears until they could hear again.**

**"Are you coming or not?" Callie called, turning her back on her friend and heading toward the parking lot.**

**"Are you KIDDING ME?" Lace called and raced after her friend.**

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><p><span>Author's Note:<span> So what is above is a teaser for _Transformers: When We Stand Together_, the last story in this series which I'll post the first chapter of later this afternoon. It takes place eighteen years after this one so there's going to be some catching up in the first few chapters. You have been warned. Thanks to _Noella50881_ and _MissShelz_ for reviewing the last chapter! I own nothing but my OCs**  
><strong>


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